Friction shock-absorbing mechanism



Patented Sept. 4, 192,8.

UNITED STATES JOHN sfoooNNoR, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIeNoa To w. II. MINER; INC.,`

OHICAGQ- ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PATENT OFFICE.

YERIC'JION SHOCK-ABSORBING MECHANISM.

.Application 1ed-Apri1'22, 1927. Serial No. 185,890.

This invention relates to improvements in friction shock absorbing mechanisms.

One object of the invention is to provide a friction shock absorbing mechanism especially adapted for railway draft riggings, including a friction system and acombined pressure transmitting and lateral pressure creating element co-operating with the friction system, wherein simple, efcient and reliable means is provided for maintaining the parts assembled, including a heavy retaining element of rugged design for the combined pressure transmitting and lateral pressure creating element.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fiilly and Clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following. y l l In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 isa horizontal, longitudinal sectional viewv of a portionof a railway draft vrigging showing my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a front endelevational view oft-,he .shock absorbing` mechanism proper. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional yiew corre-. sponding substantially to the line 3 3 ofV Figure 1. Figure 4 isa longitudinal vertical sectional view of the frontend of the shock Vabsorbing mechanism proper, corresponding substantially to the line 44 of Figure 1. And Figure5-isa detailed perspective, view of one of the friction shoes employed in connection with my improved mechanlsm. In said drawings, 10410 indicate channelshaped center or draft sills of a railway car underframe, to the inner sides of which are secured the usual front stop lugs 11-11 and rear stop lugs 12-12, The inner end ofthe drawbaris designated by 13, toY which is operatively connected-a yoke 14 of well known form. The shock absorbing ,Y mechanism proper and afront main follower 15,V are disposed within the yoke. The yoke and-the saddle plate 16 secage A comprises a substantially rectangular box-like. cast-ing having longitudinally ,dis-- posed spaced side walls 17-17.; longitudi-A` nally disposed spaced top and bottom kwallsV 18-18 and a transverse rear end wall 19. The rear endwall 19 co-operates with the stop lugs 12 in the manner of the usual rear follower. -At the forward end of the spring cage, the side walls 17 are thickened as indicated at 20 and have liners 21-21 anchored thereto. The liners an-d side walls sections 20 have interengagingribs and recessesl to prevent longitudinal movement of the liners with respect to the cage A. The liners'2l` are provided with longitudinally disposed inner friction surfaces 22` which converge'in wardly of the mechanism. ,y

The wedge block B is in the `form of a cored' castingihaving a transverse'at front en(l face bearing directly on the inner side`-` of the main follower 15. 'At the inner end of the wedge block B is providedwith a .pair of inwardly converging Wedge faces 23.v and, 24 at the opposite sides thereof, thewedge face 23 being disposedv at arelativelyI-keen wedge acting angle with4` respectv to the longitudinal axis of the mechanism and the. wedge face 24 being disposed at a relatively blunt releasing angle. with respect to said axis. At theinner end, the wedgeblocklB is also provided with top vand bottomstransverse ribs 25-25 lfor a purpose hereinafter described.V .g` Y .A

The friction shoes C andr D, which areinterposed between the wedge B andthe liners 21 are of similar design exceptfashereinafter'. pointed out. Each of the .frictionshoes is provided with anouter longitudinally disposed friction surface -26 adapted to cO-op erate withthe `friction surface 22 ,of the corresponding liner.V On the innerside, .each

y shoeis laterally enlarged,` as indicated at 27.

The' enlargement 27 of each shoe is provided with a front wedge-face adapted to co-operate with the wedgefacel atthe corresponding 10o side of the wedge, block B,'the wedge facev of the shoe C being designated by.` 28and cooperating with the wedge face23 ofthe wedgeblock B and correspondingly inclined.there to, andthe wedge vface of the shoe D being: designated by 29and co-operating withthe wedge face 24 of the wedge. block; and correspondingly inclined thereto;y ,At the .inner ends, the shoes are provided with openings 30 adapted to form Vseats for the front endsA 11u of the inner coils of the twin arranged main spring resistance means F.

The-retaining element G comprises top and `bottom plate-like sections 31-31 connected end wall 33, as clearly shown in Figures 1 end wall 19 of the spring' cage.

i n by a central verticallydisposed partition wall .s distance'to accommodate inward movement f "l are y provided of the spring follower for the permissible compression'stroke of the mechanism. At the forward. end, the top and bottomV platelike sectionsl 31V of the retaining element G with laterally projecting flanges 34-34 extending transversely of the mechanism and adapted to engage in front of the ribs 25 of the wedge block B. As will be evident, the fianges 34 serve to anchor the wedge block to Athe'retaining element and provide fora lost motion connection therebetween to permit inward movement of the wedge block' during the compression stroke' of the mechanism and yet limit the outward movement of the same.

VThe spring resistance F comprises twin arranged members disposed on opposite sides of the partition Vwall 32 of the retaining element G, each member including an inner i relatively light coil 35 and an vouterl relatively heavy coil 36. The outer coil 36 of each twin arranged springnresistance member'l has. the iear end thereof bearing directly on the flange-like section33 ofthe retaining element G and the front end bearing on the spring follower E. Theinner coil 35 of each't'win arranged spring resistance member has the rear end thereof also bearing on the fiange'niember 33 of the retaining element G fi() Y and has the front end thereof bearing on' the inner end ofthe enlargement of the'coiren sponding friction shoe, vsaid end being seat-.

ed within the opening30 of the shoe'. y

The spring follower E which in in the form ofa plateelike member, is provided withY a pairof openings 37 at the'opposite sides thereof which `freelyaccommodate the front lends of the springs 35. spring follower El, is provided with a pair'y of hollow bosses 38 at the 4opposite sides thereof. forming walls surrounding the openings 37 and having their front ends bearing on the inner` ends ofthe friction shoes respectively. 4

Vlvhen the mechanism isV assembled, the

At the front, the.

spring resistance F is preferably placed under initial compression, thereby urging the vspring follower and shoes outwardly and compensating for wear of the various friction and wedge facesand holding the ribs of l' the wedge engaged with the flanges of the retaining element G. y Due to the friction eX- isting between the shoes and the liners, outward movement of' the retaining element G will be opposed. parts beingv held assembled during shipment and handling of the mechanism, I preferably employ a pin or rivet member 39 extending through the aligned openings in the top and bottom wall of the cageA and engaging with-4 in aligned openings 40 in the top and bottom plate-like sections of the retaining element G. l

In assembling the mechanism, the retain# ing element G, together with the twin ar-` ranged springs, spring follower, friction shoes and liners aie placed within'the cage A. With the mechanism thus far assembled,V theretaining element G is forced outwardly of the spring cage by means of a bar or like member, the enduwall 19 of the cage being i provided with a central opening 41 to permit' engagement ofthe rear end of thevretaining element G by said bar. are thus forced outwardly as a unit'until lthe flanges 34 of the lretaining element'G are positioned a. sufficient distance beyond the front end of the spring cageto permit assembling of the wedge with the retaining element in` a lateral direction so that the ribs 25 of the wedge member engage behind the' flanges 34 of the retaining element, the friction [shoes being forced inwardly againstl the tension of the main spring resistance to permit this. After the wedgev has been thus assembled with the retaining element, the sp'ringresist ance F is permitted to expand so as to bringf the shoes into'engagement with the wedge and hold the ribs 25 of the wedge engaged with the flanges 34 of the retaining element G. The assembled parts are thenforcedinwardly of the spring cage until the vtransverse flange sections 33 of the retaining element'abiit theendwall 19'of the/cage. 1n case the retaining pin or rivet 39 is employed,V the same is then inserted through. the aligned openings in vthe top and bottom walls of the: cage and in the. top and .bottomy plate-likeY members 31 of the retaining e lement,'the reby positively preventing outward displacementy of the retainingelement G. 'v f VThe operation of my improved shock absorbing mechanism, assuming a compression stroke, is as follows: The front follower 15v and the spring cage A will be moved relatively toward each other. thereby ,forcing the i:

wedge block B inwardly of the cage Al and forcing the shoes vinwardly `along the fric-A tion surfaces of the liners 21 at vthe same time spreading the shoes apart. Thisfiction vwill continue either until the actuating force is- However, to insure the The assembled parts n lill lil)

tion of the main springs will restore all of the parts to normal position.

Compensation for wear of the various friction and wedge faces is had by the expansive action of the spring resistance F which, as hereinbefore stated is under initial compression, thereby urging the friction shoes outwardly and holding the same in Contact with the wedge faces of the wedge block and the friction surfaces of the liners.

lVhile I have herein sho-wn and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative, and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a combined spring cage and friction shell having opposed side walls provided with interior friction surfaces; of a pair of friction shoes engaging thel shell friction surfaces; a block having wedging engagement with the shoes and limiting outward movement thereof; anchoring means for the wedge block having abutment means at the inner end thereof; twin arranged spring resistance elements interposed between the shoes and said abut-` ment means, said spring resistance elements being' under initial compression and having the inner end supported entirely by said abutment means; and a lost motion connection between said wedge block and anchoring means, including inter-engaging transverse ribs on the wedge block and anchoring means.

2. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, the combination with a combined spring cage and friction shell having opposed interior friction surfaces at one end thereof; of friction slices engaging the shell friction surfaces; a wedge block interposed between the shoes; a member for anchoring the wedge block, said member and block having inter engaging means providing a lost motion con nection and said anchoring member having a. transverse abutment member at the inner end thereof adapted to bear on the end wall of the cage; and spring resistance means interposed between the friction shoes and vsaid abutment member, whereby the anchoring member, friction shoes andV spring resistance may be moved bodily outwardly of the cage to permit engagement of the wedge with the anchoring member.

3. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism, 'the combination with a rectangular combined spring cage and friction shell having 'the side walls thereof provided with longitudinally disposed friction surfaces; of a pair of friction shoes co-operating with the friction surfaces; a wedge `interposed between said shoes, said wedge having transverse top and bottom ribs adjacent the inner end thereof; a partition wall member within the cage bearing on the end wall thereof and having abutment means at the inner end and also having forwardly extending arms provided with transverse flanges engaging with the ribs of the wedge to provide a lost motion connection therebetween and limit outward movement of the wedge; twin arranged spring resistance members disposed within the cage, said members -being separated by said partition wall member and being interposed between the friction shoes and the abut-- ment means of said partition wall member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of April 1927.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

